Supreme Court of India on Monday declined to grant interim relief to former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh who is seeking protection from 'coercive action' in a money laundering case.
A Bench of Justices AM Khanwilkar, Krishna Murari, and V Ramasubramanian while declining to grant interim relief to Deshmukh said Deshmukh has access to remedies in law under the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).
The Bench said, "We are not inclined to grant any interim relief and let the petitioner be at liberty to access remedies in CrPC."
Senior advocate Vikram Chaudhri appearing for Deshmukh argued that the entire matter was a witch hunt.
Deshmukh is being probed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a case of alleged extortion from orchestra bars in the state. ED had issued summons to the 71-year-old NCP leader and his son Hrishikesh Deshmukh seeking their appearance.
Deshmukh had skipped the previous summons by the agency to present himself.
The ED has alleged that Rs 4.7 crore collected from orchestra bars by dismissed cop Sachin Waze, allegedly on Deshmukh's instructions, was transferred to the former minister's Nagpur- based educational trust by his son, who routed it via two hawala operators and showed it as a donation.
Deshmukh is the president of the trust and his two sons, Salil and Hrishikesh, are trustees.
Earlier on June 25, the ED had raided Deshmukh's residences in Nagpur and Mumbai. Raids were conducted at five places.
After the raids, Deshmukh had said that former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh had made false allegations against him after he was removed from the post over his suspicious role.
The case against the former Home Minister was registered on May 11. Earlier in April, the CBI had conducted raids at four premises of Deshmukh after registering an FIR against him in connection with the case.
An FIR was filed based on Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act (Public servant taking gratification other than legal remuneration in respect of an official act) and criminal conspiracy (IPC 120 B).
Param Bir Singh, in his letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, had alleged that Deshmukh had indulged in "malpractices" and asked suspended Mumbai Police officer Sachin Waze to collect Rs 100 crores every month.
Waze was arrested in March in connection with the National Investigation Agency's (NIA) probe into the case of recovery of an explosives-laden SUV near Mukesh Ambani's house in Mumbai and the subsequent murder of Thane businessman Mansukh Hiran.
( With inputs from ANI )
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